Electric terminal connecter



J. O. CADIEUX ELECTRIC TERMINAL CONNECTER Filed April 22, 1931 June 13, 1933.

INVENTOR Patented June 13, 1933 UNITED STATES JOSEPH O. CADIEUXLOF MERIDEN,

PHONE & ELECTRIC CORPORATION, 0F OF DELAWARE CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR T0 CONNECTICUT TELE- MERIDEN, CONNECTICUT, A. CORPORATION ELECTRIC TERMINAL CONNECTER Application led April 22, 1931.

My invention relates particularly to devices for detachably connecting the end of a cable to a spark plug. Such constructions especially when used in connection with airplane motors are subjected to extreme vibration and other stresses and yet are required to maintain a perfect connection under all circumstances.

In many constructions it is necessary to shield the spark plug such for instance as for the purpose of protecting against radio interference.

The object of my invention is to provide means of connection which will answer the foregoing purposes. I have specifically sought to provide a construction which can be used to connect a cable to a spark plug having a metallic shield.

One object is to provide a construction which can be utilized with spark plugs of different lengths.

Another object is to protect the spark plugs from the dripping of oil or other foreign substances.

Another object is to provide a simple but rugged terminal clip which can be readily handled and which can be relied upon.

In carrying out the invention I provide a body which serves to receive the end 'of the cable and by which it can be handled and secured to a shield. To the extreme end of this body I secure a suitable form of clip for enaofinfr the s ark lu tip.

g 'Ihebtermiiial bgdygis formed of a metallic tubular member and an insulating member suitably secured together. The tubular member provides means of attachment to the cable and means for clamping the body to the shield or housing for the spark plug. The insulating end of the body carries the spring clip and has a flange extending around it for preventing oil from running down on the clip and spark plug.

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view and side elevation showing a spark plug with its shield and a cable end with a connecting device involving my invention shown in longitudinal section.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view of a modified mounting for the clip.

S'erial No. 531,970.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional View showing modifications in details.

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view on the line 1-4. of Fig. 3.

The spark plug may be of any and provided with any suitable type of tip 6 which may be short as shown in full lines or longer as shown in dotted lines at 6.

The shield may be formed for instance of sheet aluminum having a base or cup-like portion 7 for surrounding the lower end of the spark plug, the cylindrical body member 8 split at 8 along one sidev and having a conical extension 9 which is flanged over as at 9. The whole is secured together by a cap 10 which may have Ventilating passages 11.

Conducting portion 111 of the cable has secured to it electrically at its outer end a suitable form of clip 15 for engaging the tip 6 of the spark plug. Such cables are usually provided with some form of rubber or fabric insulation 16 and a metallic armor 17 of helical interlocked type.

The terminal body consists of the tubular metallic portion 18 and the insulating portion 19 formed for instance of suitable suitable type moulded composition. These two parts can' be secured together by moulding the insulating composition into a recess 20 in the metallic portion or by moulding the insulating portion 19 in advance and providing it with a screw threaded portion 20 which can be screwed into an end of the tubular portion 18 as shown in Fig. 3. The smaller end of the body member 18 is provided with a sleeve portion 21 into which the armor 17 of the cable is received and anchored for instance by staking a portion 22 of the sleeve into a groove or outer surface of the armor. An eyelet 23 may be moulded into the end of the insulating portion 19 and riveted over the base 24 of the clip for holding the clip in place. The end of the cable 14 may be soldered as at 25 to the outer end of the eyelet 23 in order to afford a permanent connection. The eyelet however might be formed integrall with the clip 15 as shown at 23 in Fig. 2. In the other hand, the eyelet might be provided with a threaded portion 23 screwed into the insulation 19 as shown in Fig. 3.

This figure also shows a modified form of armor or protective covering 17 and a split bushing 21 held in place by an indented or staked portion Q2 and the whole held in the sleeve 2l by spinning over a fla-nge 21".

An outer end Q6 of the metallic portion 18, is tapered to fit the interior taper of the conical extension 9 of the shield. An annular clamping member 27 is provided which has a screw threaded engagement 28 with the tubular member 1S so that the clamping rinor can be adjusted back and forth on the tubular member and brought to bear against the outside o the conical extension 9 to clamp the holder in place on the. shield. This ring or sleeve like member 27 may be of any suitable cross section and knurled or otherwise surfaced to facilitate its adjustment. A groove :29 provides a convenient means for threading the member 18 and also space for the end 9 of the extension 9.

The insulating portion 19 is preferably largest at its outer end where it has a flange 30 with a groove 31 behind it and is tapered od at 82 so that a protecting skirt is provided. Any oil which may collect on the inside wall of the shield at the base of this tapered portion ofthe insulating portion 19 will flow over it only as far as the adjacent edge of the groove 31 from which it will drop off into the bottom 7 ot' the shield and thus be prevented rom reaching the terminal clip 15.

It will thus be seen that the. device can be readily attached to the end of a cable and permanently secured thereto, also that the holder can be readily clamped on or released from a shield so that the cable has not only the mechanical connection by the clip to the tip of the spark plug but also a secure connection to the shield which is clamped by the spark plug to the engine.

It will also be seen that with this construction the same clip and holder can be mounted in a shield having a short spark plug with a tip 6, or by simply turning over or rotating the tip 180 degrees the tip may be applied to a long plug having a tip 6. In both cases the holder will be found mounted concentric to the extension 9 of the shield so that it can be clamped in position as shown in Fig. 1 or upside down if necessary.

I claim:

1. An electrical connecter comprising a holder for the end of a cable consisting of a tubular metallic portion adapted to be clamped to a shield and an extended head formed of insulating material and having a terminal flange with a groove behind the flange for preventing oil running down and a clip secured to the end of the holder for attachment to a spark plug.

2. A cable terminal comprising a tubularmetallic member having a tapered portion for clamping and grounding in a shield extension and having a portion adapted to be attached to the armor of a cable, an insulating head secured to one end of said metallic member and having a projecting flange and a groove adjacent thereto and a clip secured to said insulating head for attachment to a spark plug tip.

3. A cable terminal comprising a tubular metallic member having a tapered portion for clamping in a shield and having a portion adapted to be attached to the armor of a cable, a tapered insulating head projecting as a continuation of the tapered portion of said metallic member and having a projecting flange and a clip secured to said insulating head for attachment to a spark plug.

4. A cable terminal comprising a tubular metallic member having a portion for clamping and grounding in a shield extension, a screw threaded portion adjacent thereto, and a socket portion adapted to be attached to the armor of a cable an insulating head secured to one end of said metallic member and having a projecting flange and a groove adjacent thereto, a clip secured to said insulating head for attachment to a spark plug and a screw clamp adjustable on the threaded portion.

5. A cable terminal comprising a tubular metallic member having a shouldered portion and an adjusting member threaded on the metallic member and coacting with the shoulder portion for clamping and grounding on a shield extension, an insulating head secured to one end of said metallic member and having a projecting oil-stopping flange and a clip secured to said insulating head adjacent said flange for attachment to a spark plug tip, and an armored cable having a conduc-I tor connected to said clip and having an armor secured to the opposite end of said tubular metallic member.

6. An electric cable terminal comprising an insulated conductor having a metallic protecting armor, a tapered member on said conductor adapted to fit Within a shield extension, means for mechanically connectin the armor and said tapered member to the s ield extension including an adjusting nut, an insulating head on the end of the insulated conductor having a projecting oil-stopping flange and a spring terminal clip mechanically secured to said head and electrically connected to said conductor adjacent said flange.

7. A cable terminal comprising a tubular metallic member having a tapered portion for fitting inside of a shield extension and having a threaded portion adjacent thereto, a clamping nut adjustable on said threaded portion for engaging the exterior of the shield extension, an insulated conductor passing through said tubular metallic member and having a metallic armor mechanically and electrically connected with said tubular metallic member and an insulating head se- JOSEPH O. CADIEUX. 

